Waste receptacle



Feb. 28, 1967 L. J. MARTINO ETAL WASTE RECEPTACLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1964 I NVEN TOR5 Feb. 28, 1967 J. MARTINO ETAL 3,306,486

-WASTE RECEPTACLE Filed March 30, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m w '1r--.-;@ wp w' T Wi l; HIM 54 FIGOG Louis J Mmirzo Wa me E. Moll [Pa ph E. Wezmer I N VE N T025 E g MF L J. MARTINO ETAL 3,306,486

WASTE RECEPTACLE Feb. 28, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 30, 1964 Louis J. Marima Wa ne 5. Moll J Ba ph E. Warmer INVENTOR$ United States Patent Gfiiice 3,306,486 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 3,306,486 WASTE RECEPTACLE Louis J. Martino, Lombard, Wayne E. Moll, Villa Park,

and Ralph E. Weimer, Lombard, 111., assignors to Mc- Donalds System, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 355,766 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-1) This invention relates to a novel and improved receptacle for receiving trash and other waste materials. Although its use is not so limited, it is especially useful at outdoor restaurant sites.

Outdoor restaurants, particularly drive-in restaurants, require the presence of waste receptacles to receive trash and other waste materials which customers wish to dispose of. Conventional-1y, large metal trash containers are provided for that purpose. Metal containers are heavy and expensive, are cumbersome to empty and are difficult to clean. The thermoplastic waste receptacle of this invention is light in weight, is easy to empty and is easily and conveniently maintained and cleaned. So also is it easily and readily anchored and releasable from a horizontal surface by novel anchoring means of this invention.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved waste receptacle fabricated of a thermoplastic material, light in weight, but readily usable in outdoor locations such as in the vicinity of outdoor restaurants.

This invention also contemplates, as an object, the provision of a novel thermoplastic waste receptacle assembly having a hood and a container in which the container is provided with pockets adapted to cooperate with releasable securing means for releasably anchoring the waste receptacle to a horizontal surface.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a thormoplastic waste receptacle having an open-topped container and a hood assembly releasably snap-connectable to said container in which said hood assembly comprises a main body, a door frame and a door connected to each other to provide a unitary hood assembly for the open top of said container.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a vacuum-formed thermoplastic waste receptacle having an open-topped container and a hood assembly covering said open top, said hood assembly comprising an integrated main body, door frame and door, and means for anchoring said waste receptacle to a horizontal surface, said anchoring means including oppositely disposed pockets in said container and securing means connectable to said horizontal surface and extending into and engaging said pockets.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for anchoring a waste receptacle to a horizontal surface, said means comprising indented portions adjacent the bottom of said waste receptacle and securing means connectable to said horizontal surface having end portions which extend into and engage said indented portions for resiliently urging said waste receptacle into contact with said horizontal surface and for releasably holding said waste receptacle against said horizontal surface.

These and still other objects and advnatages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of -a waste receptacle of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the waste receptacle of FIG. 1 omitting certain portions of the anchoring means of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the hood assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the assembled door frame and door of FIG. 3;

FIG, 5 is a plan view of the securing means of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the securing means of FIG. 1 prior to connection to a surface;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side sectional view taken substantially along line 77 of FIG. 1, showing in phantom the securing mean sof FIGS. 5 and 6 out of securing engagement with the waste receptacle;

FIG. 8 is a partial side sectional view taken substantially along line 8-8 of FIG. 1 and showing a portion of the bottom of the waste receptacle;

FIG. 9 is a partial side sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of FIG. 1 and showing in phantom the door in an open trash receiving position;

FIG. 10 is a partial side sectional view taken substantially along line 10-10 of FIG. 2 and showing in phantom the hood assembly out of engagement with the container; and

FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view taken substantially along line 11-11 of FIG. 9.

First referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the embodiment of the waste receptacle 1 there shown includes a container 10 and a hood assembly 12. The container 10 is fabricated from a suitable material such as a thermoplastic sheet material which has been vacuum-formed to assume the predetermined and desired shape. A preferred thermoplastic sheet material is an aerylonitrilebutadienestyrene sheet, a blend of a plastic copolymer and synthetic rubber. Such a material incorporates both the elasticity of rubber and the rigidity of plastic to provide a container 10 which is both tough and of high impact strength, as Well as one which is highly Weather resistant. One very suitable acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene sheet is 0.3 inch U.S. Rubber Royalite No. 20 having a specific gravity of 1.12.

Container 10 includes four side walls 14 which taper downwardly to a square 'base 16. At its center, base 16 i slightly concave when viewed from the bottom thereof as may be best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. Each side Wall 14 terminates in an inverted outturned continuous U-shaped lip 18 which entirely circumscribes the upper periphery of the container (see FIGS. 9 and 10). Each side wall 14 also includes a centrally located vertically extending elongated rib 20 the ends of which terminate in tapered rib segments 22 and which at their extreme ends 'blend to nothing.

Two opposite side walls 14 in the vicinity of ribs 20 define indented portions such as pockets 24. Pockets 24 are adapted to cooperate with securing means to be described to provide the anchoring means of this invention. Each of the pockets 24 includes a floor 26 and an inwardly and downwardly inclining wall 28 which, at its lowermost point, intersects floor 26. Floors 26 are located upwardly of their respective adjacent lower tapered rib segments 22 to take full advantage of the depth of ribs 20 and so that pockets 24 will extend as little as possible into container 10. By that means the interior of container 101's as free of obstruction as is possible.

At each lower corner of container 10 a concave dimple is provided. These dimples strengthen container 10 and make cleaning of the interior of the container somewhat easier. Pockets 24 and dimples 30 are desirably formed in the container side walls 14 during the vacuum forming of container 10.

Base 16 is provided with footing 32 upon which the waste receptacle 1 is adapted to rest. Footing 32 also elevates base 16 so that some clearance is provided between it and a horizontal surface S (see FIGS. 7 and 8) upon which the waste receptacle is intended and adapted to rest. Footing 32 may also be formed during the vacuum forming of container 10 or it may be a separate piece of material subsequentialy adhered to the bottom of base 16 in the desired position.

Securing means 40 is provided for releasably anchoring the waste receptacle to a horizontal surface S. It comprises an elongated bowed spring member 42, an elongated plate member 44 and fastening means 46, such as bolt means. Spring member 42 is fabricated from an elongated rectangular length of spring steel and includes a bowed central segment 48, generally perpendicular end segments 50, inwardly extending arms 52 at the remote ends of end segments 50 and recurved arms 54 at the terminal ends of arms 52. As is clear from FIGS. 6 and 7 central segment 48 and plate member 44 are provided with aligned openings to receive fastening means 46.

A base seen in FIG. 7 central segment 43 underlies base 16 and overlies surface S. Notches are provided in footing 32 adjacent the ends of central segment 48 to allow the central segment to pass therethroug-h. As such footing 32 does not rest upon spring member 42 but rather rests upon surface S. The end segments 50 lie closely adjacent to opposite side walls 14 in which pockets 24 are provided. Inwardly extending arms 52 extend inwardly of pockets 24 and positively contact a portion of the floor 26 of the pocket to provide a positive hold-down of the waste receptacle 1. The junctions of recurved arm 54 and inwardly extending arm 52 is gently curved to facilitate rapid and easy removal from the pocket.

Securing means 40 prior to attachment to horizontal surface S is shown in FIGS. and 6. After attachment bowed central segment 48 of spring member 42 is flattened and lies parallel to and against that surface. Plate member 44 is positioned over only a central portion of central segment 48. As such, it tends to restrict and limit the spring action of spring member 42. Specifically, the portions of central segment 48 which are available for resilient movement are those portions beyond the ends of plate member 44, that is the portions beyond the central portion of central segment 48.

In anchoring the waste receptacle 1 to horizontal surface S, and that surface may be a concrete driveway or sidewalk in the vicinity of an outdoor restaurant, the bolt means are inserted through the aligned openings in spring member 42 and plate member 44 and tightened until the head of the bolt means urges both plate 44 and spring member 42 against surface S. The correction made thereby may be permanent or releasable as desired and depending upon the fastening means used.

The container of waste receptacle 1 is then positioned over spring member 42 so that pockets 24 are ready to receive inwardly extending arms 52. Container portion 10 is then pushed downwardly urging arms 52 resiliently outwardly until arms 52 finally snap into pockets 24. Depending upon the material of which container 10 is made, the portions thereof beneath pockets 24 may give somewhat as arms 52 move relatively upwardly towards pockets 24. When arms 52 enter pockets 24 container 10 rests upon footing 32 and securing means effects a resilient but positive hold-down for the waste receptacle, urging the waste receptacle against surface S (see FIG. 7).

Securing means 40 and pockets 24 are proportioned and arranged so that container 10 may be easily and rapidly removed from engagement with surface S when it is desired to empty its contents, such as 'by tilting the container 10 as shown in phantom in FIG. 7. Also the anchoring means are proportioned to facilitate disengagement of the waste receptacle and the securing means if the waste receptacle is struck by an automobile. This is quite important, particularly at drive-in restaurants, where Waste receptacles are placed on islands or on sidewalks or the like against which automobiles park, frequently bumping into those receptacles. By aligning spring member 42 with the direction in which an automobile is likely to approach the waste receptacle (such as in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 7), if an auto- 4 mobile contacts the waste receptacle the securing means will automatically disconnect from pockets 24 thereby preventing damage to the waste receptacle.

The provision of plate member 44 limits the portions of spring member 42 which may rnove to make more certain the rapid disengagement of pockets 24 and securing means 4%). If the entire central segment 48 were free to resiliently move about fastening means 46, arms 52 would tend to remain within pockets 24, disengagement would be less positive in nature, and depending upon the structure of spring member 42 and the material of which container 10 is made, damage to the container 10 could be caused in removal in the vicinity of pockets 24 or elsewhere by te failure of the container 16 to disengage from securing means 44 As such, plate member 44 eliminates the need for more than a single centrally located bolt means or other fastening means to hold down the waste receptacle.

In the embodiment here described and as best seen in FIG. 3, hood assembly 12 comprises a hood body 60, a door frame 62 and a door 64. Desirably those several segments are separately vacuum-formed from sheets of thermoplastic material, preferably an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene material the same as that from which the container 10 was described as being formed. However the thickness of the sheet used may be considerably less than that used for container 10.

Hood body 60 includes a top 66 in which a reinforcing rib 68 is provided. It also defines a back 70 having a reinforcing back r-ib 72 which merges with top rib 68, and has two sides 74. Top 66 and sides 74 define a single continuous bead 76 somewhat removed from but parallel to the forwardmost edges of top 66 and sides 74. The portion of the hood body between bead 76 and the forwardmost edges of the top and sides is designated as flange area 78.

Sides 74 and back 70 include a continuous hood body ledge surface 80 which is proportioned to overlie and to be seated upon the inverted U-shaped lip 18 of container 10 on three sides thereof. Ledge 80, together with detents to be described, form a container lip gripping means best seen in FIG. 10. It is by these container lip gripping means that a snap-connection between container 10 and hood assembly .12 may be effected.

Detents 82 are formed in the two sides 74 of hood body 60. They extend inwardly of hood body 60 and provide horizontal detent surfaces 84. It is between horizontal det-ent surfaces 84 and hood body ledge surface 80 that the inverted U-shaped lip of container 10 is gripped. As illustrated in phantom in FIG. 10, when one desires to remove the snap-connected hood assembly 12 from container 10, it is necessary only to pull detents 82 outwardly beyond U-shaped lip 18 and then to lift hood assembly 12.

Door frame 62 defines a generally rectangular window W through which trash, garbage and the like may be inserted. Frame 62 is provided on three sides and at its rearmost edges with a continuous frame bead 86 complementary to and adapted to cooperate and mate with hood body bead 76. Door frame 62 serves to ri-gidify hood body 60 and to unify hood assembly 12 as well as to swingably support door 64.

The window defining portions of door frame 62 include two U-shaped frame sides 88 and a U-shaped frame top 90. As best seen in FIG. 11, U-shaped frame sides 88 accommodate the flange areas 78 of the hood body sides while U-shaped frame top 90 accommodates hood body top flange area 7 8 in a similar manner. A frame bottom 92 joins frame U-shaped sides 88 at their lower extremities and, as best seen in FIG. 9, overlies the top and front of container 10. Frame bottom 92, as best seen in FIG. 9 has an inclined lower segment which approaches container 10 and underlies lip 18 to assist in the retention of hood assembly 12 on container 10.

Where desired, bonding means such as a suitable adhesive may be applied to the flange areas 78 of sides 74 and top 66, and to bead 76 so that in the vicinity of the frame bead 86 and frame U-shaped sides 88 and top 90 the door frame 62 will be permanently and securely bonded to the hood body. Additionally, if desired, the connection between door frame 62 and hood body 60 may be made permanent by the provision of several rivets, such as rivets 94 which pass through flange areas 78 and U-shaped sides 88.

As has been mentioned, a door 64 is provided in hood assembly v12.. Door frame 62 is provided with aligned openings 96 in the sides thereof to receive and accommodate pivot means for pivotally and swingably supporting door 64. 'Door 64 comprises a front panel 100 and door sides 102. At the sides and bottom of the door a continuous flange 104 is provided. Flange 104 is proportioned to contact the rear edges of the window defining means of door frame 62. The front panel 100 is substantially of the same dimensions as the dimensions of the window W defined by door frame 62 so that it will substantially completely close the window.

Door 64 also includes a pair of spaced door detents 108. The sides of detents 108 define co-axial detent openings 110. Openings 110 are co-axial with door side openings 112, all of which are adapted to receive and accommodate a pivot rod 114 upon which door 64 is swingably mounted. Pivot rod 114 also passes through frame side openings 96. Pivot rod 114 is long enough so that when the hood body 60, door frame 62 and door 64 are connected as seen in FIG. 9 the pivot rod cannot withdraw itself from the position there shown. By that means pivot rod 114 is retained in openings 110, 112 and 96. Spacers 116 are provided to facilitate the free pivotal and swingable movement of door 64 with respect to the remainder of hood assembly 12.

As seen in FIG. 9, in its closed position, door 64 is inclined somewhat inwardly and downwardly of waste receptacle 1. This is the result of the inclination of the window W provided by downwardly and inwardly inclining door frame 62 and facilitates the closing, by gravity, of door 64 after it has been released from a trash receiving position such as that shown in phantom in FIG. 9. The swingable pivotal mounting of door 64 enables it to open and close simply and rapidly.

The waste receptacle of this invention is light, is easily cleaned and maintained, and is strong and durable. It may be firmly anchored to horizontal surfaces in very simple fashion to prevent its overturn by the weather or by human agencies, yet it is simply disconnected from the horizontal surfaces to facilitate removal of its contents. So also is it automatically disconnected when contacted by an automobile thereby preventing damage to it. The novel hood assembly may be rapidly snap-connected to and disconnected from the container for cleaning and emptying of the container as well as for cleaning of the hood assembly. The hood assembly components are readily separable, when desired, for ease of cleaning and maintenance and for rapid and simple replacement of parts if such becomes necessary, or are permanently connectable.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, the foregoing description and drawings are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting upon this invention.

We claim:

1. A waste receptacle comprising an upright thermoplastic container having four sides defining an open top,

a bottom, and an inverted U-shaped lip circumscribing the open top, and a hood releasably snap-connected to and gripping said container by said lip, said hood comprising a thermoplastic body having a top, a back and two sides and an open front and open bottom, means in said body sides for releasably snap-connecting said hood to said U-shaped lip, and a bead in said body sides and top adjacent said open front, a four-sided thermoplastic door frame having a central window, said door frame being connected to said body at said body open front by a bead in said door frame complementary to said body head, the front of said door frame inclining downwardly and inwardly of said body, and a door swingably mounted adjacent its top on said door frame and gravity urged to a position in which it closes the door frame window and swingable to an open position against the force of gravity to allow said waste receptacle to receive trash through said window.

2. The waste receptacle of claim 1 wherein means permanently connecting said door frame to said hood body are provided.

3. The waste receptacle of claim 1 wherein said container defines pockets in two opposite sides adjacent its bottom for releasably receiving securing means for anchoring said waste receptacle to a horizontal surface.

4. The waste receptacle of claim 3 wherein said container and said thermoplastic body are vacuum formed and said means in said body sides are detents which are formed when said body is vacuum formed.

5. The waste receptacle of claim 1 wherein means is provided for releasably securing said waste receptacle to a horizontal surface, said means being anchored to said horizontal surface and including an upwardly extending portion engaging the bottom region of said waste receptacle container for securing said waste receptacle to said horizontal surface.

6. A waste receptacle comprising an upright thermoplastic container having four sides defining an open top, a bottom, and an outwardly extending lip circumscribing the 'open top, and a hood releasably locally snap-connected to and gripping said container by said lip, said hood comprising a thermoplastic body having a top, a back and two sides and an open front and open bottom, means in said body sides for locally releasably snap-connecting said hood to said lip, and door frame connecting means in said hood adjacent said open front, a four-sided door frame having a central window, said door frame being connected to said body at said body open front by means in said door frame complementary to said hood door frame connecting means, the front of said door frame inclining downwardly and inwardly of said body, and a door swingably mounted adjacent its top on said door frame and gravity urged to a position in which it closes the door frame window and swingable to an open position against the force of gravity to allow said waste receptacle to receive trash through said window.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,380,252 5/1921 Richardson. 2,762,597 9/1956 Jaworski 248300 3,202,291 8/1965 Root 248-3165 X 3,219,227 11/1965 Deisner 220-31 X THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Examiner. 

1. A WASTE RECEPTACLE COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT THERMOPLASTIC CONTAINER HAVING FOUR SIDES, DEFINING AN OPEN TOP, A BOTTOM, AND AN INVERTED U-SHAPED LIP CIRCUMSCRIBING THE OPEN TOP, AND A HOOD RELEASABLY SNAP-CONNECTED TO AND GRIPPING SAID CONTAINER BY SAID LIP, SAID HOOD COMPRISING A THERMOPLASTIC BODY HAVING A TOP, A BACK AND TWO SIDES AND AN OPEN FRONT AND OPEN BOTTOM, MEANS IN SAID BODY SIDES FOR RELEASABLY SNAP-CONNECTING SAID HOOD TO SAID U-SHAPED LIP, AND A BEAD IN SAID BODY SIDES AND TOP ADJACENT SAID OPEN FRONT, A FOUR-SIDED THERMOPLASTIC DOOR FRAME HAVING A CENTRAL WINDOW, SAID DOOR FRAME BEING CONNECTED TO SAID BODY AT SAID BODY OPEN FRONT BY A BEAD IN SAID DOOR FRAME COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID BODY BEAD, THE FRONT OF SAID DOOR FRAME INCLINING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY OF SAID BODY, AND A DOOR SWINGABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT ITS TOP ON SAID DOOR FRAME AND GRAVITY URGED TO A POSITION IN WHICH IT CLOSES THE DOOR FRAME WINDOW AND SWINGABLE TO AN OPEN POSITION AGAINST THE FORCE OF GRAVITY TO ALLOW SAID WASTE RECEPTACLE TO RECEIVE TRASH THROUGH SAID WINDOW. 